Group Trip - Tres Pelicanos/Casa Mexicana

[CajunDiva]

Well, this is my first year diving Coz, so I can't comment about comparison in the past 15 years. I have, however, been diving Key Largo for the past 14 years, as well as Roatan.

Many things are happening in this world to upset the ecological apple cart. There's no doubt about the degradation of the reefs. Water temperatures in Key Largo reach and exceed 86 degrees on a regular basis. I don't want to get into an ecological argument with anyone about global warming, but anyone who dives will see the effects no matter where you dive. Been to the Great Barrier Reef lately?

Hurricane Irma (which we evacuated from one year ago) definitely took its toll on the underwater world of the Florida Keys. But guess what? They're now seeing growth like they haven't seen in years. And thanks to research and organizations like REEF and Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo and the organization I referenced above in Sarasota, I am actually feeling a little hope for the future of our reefs and oceans.

All I can do is my very best to set an example of positive change to divers and ocean lovers. I travel around this amazing world of ours and sample as many of those reefs and critters as I possibly can, not just because I need to see it while it's still there, but because I need to see it while I'M STILL HERE!

At the root of why I do what I do is the fact that wherever you choose to visit and dive, there are wonderful people and incredible life experiences. Wherever I go, I meet new divers, new friends, form new relationships and enjoy great dives. So my evaluation of a destination is about MUCH more than the quality of the reefs.

While I don't have a comparative analysis of reef quality over the past 15 years in Cozumel, I can tell you that I find it one of the most appealing destinations within easy reach of the USA.

If it's true that the quality of our reefs is degrading, maybe as the dive community of the world we should all get on board to support positive change in our environment.

 

[deepsea21]

I too tried to support a local organization in the Keys... Reef Relief. On that trip I mentioned we posted a Cheeto Seahorse my wife found in a bag on that vaca (she sees seahorses everywhere). Pirate Radio 101.7 out of Key West ended up being the highest bidder. $100 for a Cheeto that went to Reef Relief and the media got involved so we created a great deal of awareness throughout south FL. If you Google "Cheeto Seahorse" you'll find images of it still floating around.

So, I got involved with this and figured I could make even more $ for Reef Relief from afar back in VA. I contacted Winn-Dixie supermarkets (known as "The Beef People") and told them about the Cheeto thing and they looked into it and I told them I had another idea that we could auction off some beef with all the support from all the local media outlets who covered the little Cheeto and bring about more awareness... It would be "SIDE OF BEEF FOR REEF RELIEF". Yup, Winn Dixie was willing to donate an entire side of beef (like 400 lbs) to be custom cut to the high bidder's specifications. So, I contacted Reef Relief and told them we were hooked up for another great money making idea that would bring a great deal of awareness to the issue and a lot more $ than a cheeto. AND WHAT WAS THEIR RESPONSE? Their response was.. "Umm, we have several employees on our staff who are vegans and to proceed with such a money raising effort would offend them so thank you for the Cheeto and the publicity it generated but we are not interested". That is when I said these nut case non-profit organizations who claim to want to make a difference and beg for money while they put their personal beliefs before the cause they are supposedly fighting for are a waste of my time. To this day I get a letter from Reef Relief every year asking for a donation and it goes straight into the trash where it belongs.

 

[nodakdive]

I started diving Coz in 2004. My last diving pre-Wilma was in April of 2005 and my first dive post Wilma was January of 2006.

As a long time dive pro said to me, "Whatever damage divers do to reefs, it is nothing compared to what a hurricane does."

Anyhow, I came back every year, sometimes twice a year for many years. As sad as it was, it's been amazing to watch the regrowth of both the reefs and the island. In Jan 2006, the reefs looked like they had been scrubbed and covered with snow. The coastline, which had been green as it is now, was brown/grey. There wasn't much for fish, but they stood out more due to the barren nature of the reefs. On the reefs, you'd see little pieces of palm tree leaves here and there, but the local dive community had cleaned the reefs of almost all of the debris. That in itself was amazing. The most surreal image I saw was an entire palm tree lodged under one end of a patch reef. It looked like it had been placed there minutes before. Another surreal image was San Juan and what seemed like an endless carpet of broken finger coral.

Some asked why I would go there considering the hurricane. For me, being able to watch the changes and see it come back was part of the joy and interest. Every year, actually every trip, you see change. I remember when sea fans started showing up again at Casa del Mar. On my last trip a few years ago, the coral close to shore still had a long ways to go, but it was looking better.

Wilma was about the 3rd week in October. When I came in January, we were part of the first returning charter flights. There were fire trucks lined up creating arches of water that the plane went through. There was a marching type band. The tv stations were there and the flight attendants asked on the plane for anyone that spoke Spanish who would be willing to be interviewed. Though clearly badly damaged, the town around the square was so clean you could practically eat off the streets. What the people of Cozumel did to get back up an running took a monumental effort and the speed at which they did it was astounding.

 

[ggunn]

I started diving Coz in 2004. My last diving pre-Wilma was in April of 2005 and my first dive post Wilma was January of 2006.

As a long time dive pro said to me, "Whatever damage divers do to reefs, it is nothing compared to what a hurricane does."

Anyhow, I came back every year, sometimes twice a year for many years. As sad as it was, it's been amazing to watch the regrowth of both the reefs and the island. In Jan 2006, the reefs looked like they had been scrubbed and covered with snow. The coastline, which had been green as it is now, was brown/grey. There wasn't much for fish, but they stood out more due to the barren nature of the reefs. On the reefs, you'd see little pieces of palm tree leaves here and there, but the local dive community had cleaned the reefs of almost all of the debris. That in itself was amazing. The most surreal image I saw was an entire palm tree lodged under one end of a patch reef. It looked like it had been placed there minutes before. Another surreal image was San Juan and what seemed like an endless carpet of broken finger coral.

Some asked why I would go there considering the hurricane. For me, being able to watch the changes and see it come back was part of the joy and interest. Every year, actually every trip, you see change. I remember when sea fans started showing up again at Casa del Mar. On my last trip a few years ago, the coral close to shore still had a long ways to go, but it was looking better.

Wilma was about the 3rd week in October. When I came in January, we were part of the first returning charter flights. There were fire trucks lined up creating arches of water that the plane went through. There was a marching type band. The tv stations were there and the flight attendants asked on the plane for anyone that spoke Spanish who would be willing to be interviewed. Though clearly badly damaged, the town around the square was so clean you could practically eat off the streets. What the people of Cozumel did to get back up an running took a monumental effort and the speed at which they did it was astounding.

My experience was similar; I dove Cozumel in May of 2005 and January 2006. I guess we got there a little too late for the fire trucks and marching bands. I have also been there every spring since the storm. It wasn't until May of 2006 that I saw the true brownness of the coastline on the south end; all that salt blown onto the island from the sea took its toll and it took years for fresh water from rain to leach it out.

Like you I was impressed by the Cozumelenos' resilience in getting the island back in shape after the storm, although there were some iconic businesses that never recovered - Acuario Restaurant and Cabanas del Caribe, for example. In the water, there were changes. The changes weren't all bad; there are new swimthroughs at Colombia and Palancar. Some changes were temporary; the soft corals and sponges are coming back fairly quickly. Many of the hard coral formations in shallow water, though, are gone forever from the perspective of the length of a human lifetime; they took centuries to build and a single storm to be destroyed.

But Cozumel is still a great diving destination, and the charm of the island is only a little compromised by the advent of BUB's (Big Ugly Boats). I'll be back in May.

 

[Alan P]

Dove three weeks to the day after Wilma hit. Was an adventure to get on the island as the airport was closed and the ferries were used to transport supplies. Experienced all the above and dove every few weeks for the next six months and it was amazing to watch everything transform.